AN SNP MP is set to present a bill in the House of Commons in a renewed attempt to ban unpaid work trials.
Stewart McDonald, MP for Glasgow South, is putting forward legislation in a bid to outlaw the practice across the UK, having campaigned against it since 2015.
It comes after a recent survey conducted by the MP showed that a majority of respondents found that unpaid trial shifts were unfair and there was support for banning the practice.
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Unite the Union have backed the bid and dubbed unpaid trial shifts a “dark stain on the hospitality sector” as many employers use the practice to plug staffing gaps.
McDonald previously introduced a Private Members Bill to ban the practice in 2018, but the initial bid failed after a government minister talked it out.
Employers can ask potential employees to do an unpaid trial shift in order to assess whether they should get the job, but it is illegal for the trial to last more than one day in all but exceptional circumstances.
The MP is now renewing his bid to ban the “exploitative” practice, adding that it is “long overdue”.
“The UK government continues to drag its feet on this important issue, at the expense of people who are just trying to find employment,” McDonald said.
“The law needs to change to ensure that no one is asked to work without pay as a condition for employment - the existing legislation does not go far enough.
“The UK Government must ban unpaid trial shifts or devolve employment powers to the Scottish Government so we can.
“The current guidance is shrouded in ambiguity, leaving workers vulnerable and their rights uncertain.
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“However, there should be no vagueness around this issue - a fair day’s work deserves a fair day’s pay."
Bryan Simpson, lead organiser for Unite the Union, has stated: "Unpaid trial shifts remain a dark stain on the hospitality sector.
“We have scores of members this year alone who have worked anywhere between 2 to 16 hours without pay, under the guise of a trial shift, only to find out they are simply being brought in by unscrupulous employers to fill gaps in absence.”
It is unlikely McDonald’s bill will make it to the vote stage, as he was not one of the 20 MPs who were successful in the ballot to guarantee debate time in the House of Commons.
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